With the globalization of business, industry and trade wherein transactions and activities within these fields have been changing from localized organizations to diverse transactions over the face of the world, the telecommunication industries have, accordingly, been expanding rapidly. Wireless telephones, such as cellular telephones, have become so pervasive that their world wide number is in the order of hundreds of millions. While the embodiment to be subsequently described uses cellular telephones as the example, the principles of the invention would be applicable to any wireless transmission device.
Despite the rapid expansion of and the proliferation of wireless telephones and particularly cellular telephones and networks, the industry is experiencing a decrease in consumer demand for wireless cellular telecommunications products. As a result, the industry is seeking new and expanded uses for its products. The present invention offers such an expanded application for wireless cellular telephone technology in the continuous monitoring and correction of automobile operating systems. The term automobile is meant to include any type of motor vehicle using public highways, e.g. trucks and cycles.
Over the last generation, the use of microprocessors and central processors in automobiles has been rapidly expanding. In addition to a central computer, referred to as the engine control unit, automobiles have upwards of fifty microprocessors dispersed throughout the automobile to control the sensing and controlling of many discrete operations. The increase in such microprocessors has been necessitated by the imposition of emission and fuel economy standards and safety standards, reduction in wiring, as well as advanced comfort and convenience features.
With all of this on-board data processing during automobile operations, increasing self-diagnostics have been built into the automobile wherein defects or faults are often self-adjusted within the automobile without any apparent effect on operations. Of course, with such complex operations, it may at times be the case that the on-board diagnostic system cannot adjust or correct the fault. Also, the fault may be mechanical, physical or electrical and require some form of manual repair. Accordingly, the automobile has a central storage module in which sensed data relative to faults and defects, particularly faults and defects that cannot be self-adjusted, is stored. Then, the automobile must visit a diagnostic and repair shop where the defects and stored data relative thereto are interpreted and the defect repaired. Alternatively, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,994, when a problem arises, the automobile may establish a wireless communication with a diagnostic center so that the particular problem may be analyzed and repaired.